Marketing's contribution of the sustainability of pastoralism: evidence from Ethiopia

Pastoralists are people who, for their livelihood, depend on livestock raising using the natural pasture. Sustainability of pastoralist production is important for their livelihood as well as to the supply of animal-based protein. However, concerns with the pastoralist production system have also been voiced, particularly, on the ecological implications of the system. As a consequence, sustainability of the pastoral system and pastoralists that operate therein is a central issue in many debates among development practitioners, academics, and policy makers). Central to this debate is whether pastoralists can be expected to adapt their livestock production strategies to the varying availability of natural resources (i.e., pasture and water). Thus, herd size management in terms of stocking and destocking of livestock by pastoralists has become a central issue in the debate.

The stocking and destocking decision in anticipation of changing external conditions can be conceived of as a marketing challenge to pastoralists, not only contributing to their livelihood and profit, but also to the sustainability of the system. As such, markets (and therefore, marketing) relates not only to economic and social aspects of sustainability, but also to the ecological aspects. This study investigates whether and how marketing can contribute to the sustainability of pastoralists. For this purpose, four lines of research are explored: (1) Is pastoralism in principle a sustainable production system?; If so under which conditions is such system sustainable?, (2) How does marketing relate to the conditions under which pastoralism is sustainable?, (3) Which concepts from the marketing literature can generate insights that potentially contribute to the sustainability of pastoralism?, and (4) How do these concepts empirically relate to the social and economic aspects of sustainability and to the resource dilemma that characterizes the ecological aspect of pastoralists’ sustainability?

The thesis indicates that marketing can help pastoralists to strengthen their livelihood and to adapt to changing natural conditions through strategic selling and buying of livestock. In that respect only strategic marketing with a central view on the creation of customer value can contribute to economic, social and ecological sustainability at the same time. Thus, the thesis shows evidence that if pursued with a strategic intent marketing is a viable tool also for the sustainable development of the pastoralist system. Market orientation (in terms of customer orientation and interfunctional coordination) is in that respect the key concept. The thesis also contributes to the literature on the role of marketing in emerging economies indicating that market orientation theory is not restricted to formal economies with bounded organizations, but generalizable to informal economies such as pastoralists. To help pastoralists to live in a sustainable manner, policy should support their adaptation along the lines of the market by not just  strengthening market integration, but by advocating and facilitating a market orientation.